(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to polyfoam coolers generally used to carry food and beverages to picnics and similar outings, and more particularly to an improved cooler of the type using cold packs to provide the coolant and for use exclusively for carrying canned or bottled beverages only and wherein the temperature of such beverages can be maintained at a cool temperature for many hours.
(b) Description of Prior Art
Polyfoam coolers, to a large degree, are simply moulded box forms having a body and lid. When food and drink items have been chilled and placed in such coolers, the insulated container restricts the flow of heat from ambient air, thus keeping the contents cool for a period of time. To assist in this process, generally one or more cold packs are also employed, these being plastic containers having a coolant substance, such as common or artificial ice. This arrangement, by and large, is not very efficient due to the fact that when the food and drink items are placed together in such coolers, the beverages, being at a lower temperature than the food items, absorb heat from the food and the temperature of such beverages rises undesirably. When cold packs are used in these instances, their effectiveness is thus limited by the presence of the food items and also by such items restricting the flow of cold convection air from the cold pack to around the beverages.
When polyfoam coolers are designed for beverages only, better results are obtained, particularly if a coolant medium is employed. From the standpoint of endeavouring to obtain the coldest possible beverage temperature for the longest period of time, larger coolers, with the beverages packed in loose ice provides good results. However, considerable excess weight must be contended with along with the messy ice and water, and not forgetting the disadvantage of the large size of the cooler.
The ideal drinking temperature of common beverages, such as beer, soft drink, fruit juice, etc., is that provided by a home refrigerator and which reduces and maintains liquid temperatures to about 40.degree. F. An ideal concept for a beverage cooler, therefore, would be one which receives canned or bottled beverages directly from the home refrigerator and continuously performs the same function, i.e., keeping the beverages at the same temperature as in the refrigerator for a prolonged period of time, for example, eight hours or more. In other words, such a cooler would be, in effect, a portable extension of the home refrigerator with respect to beverages.